Tanner Peterson joined the University of South Dakota in a newly-created position in the counseling department in the fall of 2023. Peterson serves as USD's coordinator of student-athlete mental health.

Peterson comes to Vermillion from Maplewood Psychology in Minnesota, where he’s served as a mental health therapist since February. His role included conducting individual sessions with clients, using theory and research-based practice to provide treatment. He specialized in work with athletes and performers.

On the side, Peterson’s also worked as a mental performance coach. In that role, he would work with coaches, athletes, and performers to highlight and improve mental toughness.

Peterson also served internships with the Counseling Services of Southern Minnesota as a mental health therapist, along with the Mankato MoonDogs baseball and Duluth Huskies baseball as a mental performance intern. In addition, while working towards his two master’s degree, he worked as a graduate mental performance consultant at Center for Sport and Performance Psychology and as a graduate assistant with Minnesota State’s student services and compliance office.

An alumnus of Concordia-St. Paul, Peterson graduated in 2018 with his bachelor’s in sport psychology. He went on to complete a pair of master’s degrees, in mental health counseling and in sport & exercise psychology, from Minnesota State University.